Will the sins of your past catch up with you?

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Will the sins of your past catch up with you?

By Liz SzaboUSA TODAY

published December 27, 2005 6:00 am

Many of us begin taking care of our bodies only after they start to ache, show signs of wear and tear, leading the older, wiser - and recently virtuous - among us have been known to ask: Is it too late to undo the damage caused by all that fun? We asked leading medical experts for their advice.

The risk: Sex

In addition to unplanned pregnancies, unsafe sex can spread viruses that cause AIDS, cervical cancer and hepatitis B and C.

Can the harm be undone? In some cases. The immune system eventually fights off most infections of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer, says Charlotte Gaydos, an associate professor of medicine at s Hopkins School of Medicine. Bacterial infections such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics.

How can people protect themselves in the future? Although abstinence and monogamy are the safest strategies, condoms also greatly reduce the risk, says Soper, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina-ton.

Can disease be detected and treated? Yes. People with symptoms should see their doctors, who also can test for "silent" infections that may not cause symptoms, such as HIV, HPV and chlamydia, Gaydos says. She encourages women to undergo annual Pap tests, which can detect cervical cancer early, when it is more easily treated and cured. People who are treated for HIV can live for years with the disease and are also less likely to spread the virus.

The risk: Drugs

Illegal substances: Drug use can create a number of immediate health hazards, from car accidents to strokes, says Murray Mittleman, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Intravenous drug use can spread HIV and hepatitis. In the long run, habitual marijuana users face many of the same risks as cigarette smokers, such as cardiovascular disease, Mittleman says.

Can the harm be undone? Some injuries, such as scarring of the arteries caused by cocaine, are irreversible, Mittleman says.

Tobacco: Evidence shows that every cigarette increases the risk of illness and death, according to the American Cancer Society.

Can the harm be undone? In some cases. The body has an elaborate DNA repair system, which works hard to correct the mutations created by tobacco and other carcinogens, says Weinberg, a scientist at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass. But the body can't repair every error. A smoker's risk of lung cancer is always higher than that of someone who has never smoked. The heart recovers more quickly: 15 years after quitting, a person's risk of stroke or coronary heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker, according to the cancer society.

Alcohol: Heavy drinking can scar the liver. Alcohol use may lead to "brain shrinkage," says Ken Mukamal, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. The more people drink, the more brain tissue appears to waste away. Senior citizens with significant brain shrinkage tend to have more cognitive problems than others. Although even moderate alcohol use can lead to brain shrinkage, scientists don't yet know whether light drinking causes problems that would actually be noticeable.

Can the harm be undone? Yes. Alcohol appears to damage brain cells, rather than kill them. People who reduce their drinking can reverse brain shrinkage, Mukamal says.

How can people protect themselves in the future? The best strategy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to avoid drugs and tobacco and to consume alcohol in moderation, if at all.

Can disease be detected and treated? Rick Kellerman, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, encourages people to be honest with their doctors. A middle-aged person who drank or experimented with drugs in college, but who has no health symptoms since then, may not need any special testing. But Harlan Krumholz, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine, says everyone could benefit from regular checkups to monitor blood pressure and other vital signs. While some doctors recommend lung cancer screening, other experts say the tests have not been shown to save lives.

The risk: Rock 'n' roll

Repeated exposure to loud noise - from a Metallica concert, a lawn mower or from the earbuds on an iPod - can destroy the inner ear's delicate, sound-conducting hair cells, says Fligor, an audiologist at Children's Hospital Boston.

Can the harm be undone? No. Dead hair cells don't grow back. Once hearing is lost, it is gone forever.

Can disease be detected and treated? Yes, through hearing tests and aids. Fligor suggests most adults have their hearing tested every five years after age 25, which may catch hearing loss in time to prevent further damage.

How can people protect themselves in the future? Wear foam earplugs around loud noise. Although earbuds are no worse than regular earphones, neither should be used more than an hour a day at 60 percent volume.

The risk: Gluttony and sloth

Inactivity and obesity contribute to diabetes, joint pain, sleep disturbances, heart disease, strokes and several cancers, says Miriam , associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Can the harm be undone? In some cases. People with thick plaques in their arteries can't erase that injury, and those who have had heart attacks will always have a higher risk, says Harlan Krumholz. Fit young people can't bank their good deeds; even former athletes are at risk if they pack on the pounds in midlife.

"All the research shows that what you do now is far more important than what you did when you were younger," says. "We work with people well into their 80s and 90s. The body's capacity to get stronger and to be healthier and happier is still there." For example, exercising just half an hour a day - along with losing 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight - reduces the risk of diabetes by nearly 60 percent, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Can disease be detected and treated? Yes. Doctors can test blood pressure and cholesterol and screen for diabetes and other risk factors for heart disease, Krumholz says. People who start a new exercise plan also may want to take a stress test on a treadmill. Women nearing menopause could ask about bone density tests, says.

How can people protect themselves in the future? Cut out empty calories and aim to get as many vitamins and nutrients as possible through food rather than supplements. Women can reduce their osteoporosis risk and strengthen their bones through weight-bearing exercise. Carefully targeted strength training also reduces arthritis pain, relieves depression and helps people get around more easily.

The risk: Sun lust

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lead to skin cancer.

Can the harm be undone? No. There is no way to repair DNA already damaged by radiation, which can lead to mutations that cause cancer, says Granstein, chairman of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Can disease be detected and treated? Most dermatologists recommend an annual skin cancer check, Granstein says. According to the cancer society, suspicious lesions are ones that fail the ABCD test: asymmetrical shape; borders that are ragged or uneven; color that is spotty and may include shades of black, brown, red, white and blue; and diameter that is wider than a pencil eraser and growing.

How can people protect themselves in the future? People get about 75 percent of their lifetime ultraviolet dose after age 18, according to a 2003 article in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology. Experts say that leaves plenty of years to shun the sun and cover up.

By Liz SzaboUSA TODAY

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005512270307